End closure for lined carton



Dec. 17, 1 968 BECK, JR" ET AL 3,416,717

END CLOSURE FOR LINED CARTON Filed Aug. 15, 1967 United States Patent 3,416,717 END CLOSURE FOR LINED CARTON Earl H. Beck, Jr., Glen Ellyn, Ill., and Bernard J.

Cimmini, Norristown, Pa., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 660,776 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An easy open, reclosable end closure for a lined carton having a liner sealed closed along a transverse seam that is disposed, when the carton is closed, between overlapping inner and outer end closure flaps of the carton body, and locating the free edge of the inner end flap snug against the liner below the transverse seam, so that the liner is opened by pulling said seam, as a tear strip, against the inner end flap free edge.

This invention relates to an improved end closure means for a lined carton which can be readily opened to define either a pour spout from the liner or a completely top-opened liner, and which can be adequately reclosed to protect the remaining product.

Lined cartons generally have a tubular paperboard body enclosing a tubular liner of plastic film or waxed paper. The liner is sealed closed along a transverse seam and end flaps on the carton body are folded over into overlapping relationship to close the carton. The cartons typically are opened by tearing away part of the end flaps and liner, or by first opening the closure flaps and then opening the liner independently by means of a tear strip, cutting it or the like. A common defect experienced in these closures is the inability to reclose the carton for proper protection of the remaining product.

This invention provides a liner that projects beyond the end of the carton body, and that has its transverse closing seam originally confined between overlapping inner and outer end closure flaps when the carton is closed. The end of the liner is thus exposed when the outer closure flap is opened to permit the transverse seam to be gripped and pulled against the free edge of the inner clo sure flap, which thereby serves as a tearing guide for the liner. The liner can be weakened at the end to assist the initial tearing. A pour spout can be defined upon tearing the liner in one direction only, or a fully opened liner can be defined upon tearing the liner in both directions from the weakened area. The liner is bonded to the inner end flap to the approximate midheight of the flap, and preferably also within triangular areas to intermediate minor tuck flaps to provide for easy initial closing and sealing of the carton as well as sure reclosing of the carton.

Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide an improved end closure for a lined carton where an inner closure flap for the carton is utilized along its free edge as a means for guiding the severing of a transverse end seam on a liner for opening the liner.

The invention will be more fully appreciated after referring to the following specification, including the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the subject carton shown in the opened condition even before the carton has been initially closed and sealed;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the carton in various progressive stages of initial closing;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the carton in an initial stage of opening; and

3,416,717 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the carton fully opened.

The carton disclosed herein is of the lined type and includes a paperboard body 12 which surrounds an inner liner 14 of plastic film, waxed paper or the like. The carton body 12 is tubular and includes opposite pairs of side walls 15 and 16 (only one each of which is shown). End closure flaps are hinged to the upper edges of the various side walls and are adapted to be folded inwardly to overlap one another and close the end of the tubular body. The flaps include inner flap 17 hinged to the side wall 16, outer flap 18 hinged to the opposite hidden side wall 16 and intermediate tuck flaps 20 hinged to the side walls 15. The liner 14 is closed by a transverse seam 22 across its top, and this seam is located beyond the free edge 23 of the inner closure flap 17 when the flap is opened. The liner is bonded to the inner flap 17 in the area indicated at 25 up to the approximate midpoint of the flap 17. The liner is also bonded along triangular patterns indicated in dotted lines at 27 in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the intermediate flaps 20.

After the liner is filled and sealed closed across the transverse seam 22, the carton is closed by folding the intermediate flaps 20 outwardly to elongate the liner across the closed top. The inner flap 17 is thereafter folded across the open end of the tubular body 12 so that the free edge 23 traps the liner and holds it in close proximity to the upper edge of the tubular body adjacent the hinged connection of the outer flap 18. The intermediate flaps 20 are thereafter folded in over the inner flap and the outer flap 18 is folded over and secured in overlapped relationship against the inner flap 17 and the intermediate flaps 20, as shown in FIG. 3. It will be apparent that in an actual carton the intermediate flap 20 and the outer flap 18 shown at the left of FIG. 3 would similarly be closed in the manner illustrated at the right of FIG. 3.

To open the carton, the outer flap 18 is separated from the inner flap, and the intermediate flap 20 is folded out in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the exposed liner formed principally by the transverse seam 22 can be readily gripped by a user and pulled against the free edge 23 of the inner flap 17. The transverse seam acts as a tear strip, and the free edge 23 of the inner flap acts as a guiding cutting surface for severing the liner. After the liner has been torn so that it no longer is guided by the free edge 23 of the inner flap 17, the liner generally tears along the inner edge of the transverse seam up to the end edge of the liner. This, therefore, produces a fine pour spout for the liner since the liner can be partially opened along the folded lines 28 and 29, for example, to form a pouring trough.

The end of the liner preferably will have a weakened line or notch cut therein to illustrate the proper place to begin tearing the seam. The weakening out should not extend across the transverse seam since to do so would destroy the sealing of the liner. The liner can be severed in one direction from the weakening out toward either end of the carton to form a pouring spout on one end only of the liner, or it can be torn in both directions to form a completely opened top as illustrated in FIG. 5.

Since the liner is secured only to the approximate midpoint of the inner flap 17, the free edge of the liner can be rolled over on itself to .reclose the carton when desired. The inner flap 17 can be scored as at 38 to permit it to be folded out of the way. Adhesive bonding of the liner to the intermediate flaps similarly assist the reclosing feature of this carton since the rolled over section of the liner disposed generally along the area indicated in dotted lines at 40 in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be trapped against the top of the inner flap by means of the folded over intermediate flaps 20, and held in place, as required, by the outer flap 18.

What is claimed is:

1. An easy open, reclosable end structure for a lined carton having a tubular paperboard body and a tubular liner disposed within the body and closed across the upper end thereof by a transverse seam, the combination comprising:

(a) an inner flap hinged to an upper edge of the body and adapted to extend almost completely across said body to present a free edge closely adjacent the opposite upper edge thereof when the carton is closed;

(b) an outer flap hinged to said opposite upper body edge and adapted to overlap the inner flap when the carton is closed;

(0) said liner extending between said inner flap free edge and the opposite upper body edge, and presenting the transverse seam thereof between the inner and outer flaps when the carton is closed;

(d) said liner being bonded to the inner flap in an area thereof between the approximate midpoint of said flap and its connection to the tubular body; and

(e) said transverse seam being exposed upon the outer flap being separated from the inner flap, so that a user can grasp the seam and pull the liner against and simultaneously along the inner flap free edge to open the liner with said inner flap free edge serving as a tearing guide.

2. An end structure according to claim 1, wherein said liner has a weakened line formed from the upper end edge thereof toward, but not across, the transverse seam operable to assist the user in initially opening the liner.

3. An end structure according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body includes intermediate flaps hinged to upper edges of the body between the first named and opposite upper edges thereof, and wherein said liner is adhesively bonded to the intermediate flaps within triangular patterns.

4. An end structure according to claim 3, wherein said intermediate flaps are adapted to lie between the inner and outer flaps when the carton is closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,089,483 8/1937 Jaenicke. 2,171,717 9/1939 Vogt. 2,214,944 9/1940 Vogt. 2,307,559 1/ 1943 Angus. 2,321,681 6/1943 Hultin. 2,407,802 9/ 1946 Stotter. 2,422,899 6/1947 Hogdal. 2,427,858 9/1947 Hogdal. 3,051,367 8/1962 Ginhorn. 3,113,712 12/1963 Kindseth.

FOREIGN PATENTS 950,155 3/1949 France. 621,403 4/ 1949 Great Britain.

30 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

